With the football season ending, many are left with a hole to fill in their heart. I’m here to fill that void with hockey. Here are a few reasons why hockey should be added to your weekly watch list.
We all know that one of the most annoying parts of watching football is all of the stoppages and time-outs. Well, in hockey, there are far fewer stoppages, with the game constantly moving at a fast pace. Not only is it played at high speed on a giant sheet of ice, but the players also have a lot of control over the game.
One of the most controversial things going around right now is the effect of referees on the game of football. While that is semi-true for hockey, the players have a more significant impact on the game. Not only can they slow it down or speed it up, but they can also spice the game up with hits and fights.
Hockey is the true definition of a team sport. While football can be considered a “team sport,” they have a quarterback who is mostly in control. In hockey, there is no quarterback; they are a true team, with each player having an equal effect. When one player gets a penalty, not only do they have to sit in “timeout” (which on its own is quite funny), but their team must play short a player. While in football, the team just gets moved back a few yards.
Hockey also offers a long season that consists of 81 regular season games for each team. There is always a hockey game for you to watch. With the long season, you won’t feel like the season has just started when it ends. It gives plenty of opportunities to watch and learn the game while also scouting out your favorite teams or players.
The season doesn’t just end after those 81 games; it then goes into the playoff season, which can be the most grueling part of the season. Playoffs consist of four rounds, which are played best out of seven. The higher-ranked team plays the first two games at home and then they go to the lower-ranked team’s arenas for the next two. If there is not a team that has won four out of the seven games, they then go back and forth between the two teams’ arenas. The travel can be grueling during playoffs but that is why hockey players are one of the toughest people out there and because fighting is quite literally a part of their sport. Plus, at the end of it all, if you win the Stanley Cup, you get a ring added to the cup with the winning team’s name, player’s names, coaches, and management staff.
You might be wondering why fighting is allowed in hockey. Well, that’s thanks to the Canadians, from which hockey originated. When hockey first started, there were very few rules. It left a lot of wiggle room for players to fight in order to assert dominance on the ice. It has since become a staple in hockey that is greatly loved by its fans.
Picking a team you like can be hard. Personally, my favorite team is the Colorado Avalanche, who are a really fun team to watch that won the Stanley Cup in 2022. However, you may have seen a lot of TikToks about many different hockey players, one of which is Jack Hughes, a young hockey sensation who plays for the New Jersey Devils. Now, if you’re looking for a team that has been really good lately, I would definitely recommend the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, or Toronto Maple Leafs. If you want a team with a lot of history, then I would recommend the Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadians. As an honorable mention, the Seatle Krakens, although they haven’t been ranked very highly lately, are currently making history by having the first-ever female coach who stands on the bench behind the players in NHL history.